New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) warms up before a game against the Atlanta Falcons on November 22, 2018 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI | License Photo

Then, Drew Brees threw a touchdown pass to Zach Line and Alvin Kamara ran for a two-point conversion.

The Bucs still led, 14-11, but the momentum had swung 180 degrees.

Suddenly the Saints' pass rush was swarming Jameis Winston and the swagger the Tampa Bay offense displayed in the first half vanished.

The offensive ineptitude that plagued New Orleans during a 13-10 loss at Dallas 10 days earlier was gone.

The line was opening holes for Kamara and Ingram, who ran for a go-ahead touchdown on the next possession, as well as protecting Brees, who suddenly regained the sharpness that had been missing for most of six-plus quarters.

Brees would leap over the goal line on fourth down for a touchdown that provided breathing room and Wil Lutz added a field goal for good measure to give the Saints a 28-14 victory.

It wasn't as easy as the score might suggest.

Payton said it's nice to win when you don't play your best. New Orleans (11-2) played far from its best for much of the game, but after the blocked punt it looked like the team that won 10 straight before the loss at Dallas.

Was the turnaround a sign that the Saints are back on track and one of the strongest Super Bowl contenders in the NFL, or was it just evidence of the Saints taking advantage of a bad team that wasn't capable of playing 60 minutes at the level at which it performed for the first 30 minutes and inevitably reverted to form?

We'll find out in the coming weeks as New Orleans -- which clinched the NFC South title and is a division champion in consecutive seasons for the first time -- gears up for the playoffs. Next week, the Saints visit free-falling Carolina in what could be their final game away from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome until the Super Bowl, if they secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

They close out with home games against the Steelers and the Panthers, who are in second place but were mathematically eliminated from the division race before they ever played New Orleans.

The last two games have demonstrated that the Saints are more vulnerable than they appeared during their winning streak.

The performance of the offensive line has dropped off dramatically.

Certainly the absence of left tackle Terron Armstead hasn't helped, but he's close to returning.

The line's struggles have led to a sub-par running game, which has made life harder on Brees, who suddenly for the first time this season looks like the 39 years of age that he is.

It was impressive when Brees threw touchdown passes to four different undrafted players in a victory against the Falcons on Thanksgiving. But that doesn't change the fact that Michael Thomas is the only consistently dependable wide receiver on the roster.

Perhaps the strangest aspect of this season is the realization that the defense has been the most consistent unit of late. Its performance kept New Orleans in the game at Dallas and kept Sunday's game manageable until Hill made the game-turning play.

The Saints' defense is legitimately good. The offense has shown its vulnerability in the last two games.

The team is still a really good team, but a really good team that's still a work in progress with three games left in the regular season.